have u felt better going from 3 to 4 oest. gel pumps?

[lu9months]

im 51 and ive been on hrt 3 pumps per day for 6 months. still exhausted and ache all over. gynae added testosterone gel twice a week but hasnt helped. hes now suggested 4 pumps a day of oestrogen. has anyone felt similar symptoms which have improved on a higher dose? im beginning to the HRT cant help me

what else are you using with the gel? utrogestan? norethisterone? coil?

Are you taking multivitamins? Your nutrient absorption decreases with menopause also. (Everything goes to shit, tbh.) Had you gone through full-blown menopause prior to starting HRT? Because this makes a big difference with what to expect from results. Honestly best to start during perimenopause, but UK Docs so far behind the times on that one. Please check iron, calcium and B group vitamins are up to scratch, thyroid hormones are in normal range and vitamin D is good too. To utilize testosterone and actually “FEEL” it, you MUST exercise. (Sorry!)

thanks both. I was perimenopausal, but knackered and achey. im also on progesterone tablets day 1-12 . Im on vit D too. testosterone gel was added twice a week a couple of months ago but made no diffs. I have exercised regularly all my life but finding it tough now because I ache so much, but still doing low level stuff.

Good to keep that up. (I know it’s tough - and bloody boring. I don’t love it either.) Very easy to have docs dismiss everything at this time in our lives as depression or anxiety. 🤬 Do you know if the other things have been checked? Might be worth asking for a thyroid screen, full blood count, Iron studies and B12. These things go to crap at our age.

Yes. I’m 50 at have been on Estrogel for just under 2 years. I spent about 4 months on 3 pumps and, although I felt a definite improvement, things were still pretty bad. I went up to 4 pumps and felt better and am now on 5 and feel back to normal.

I can say I felt MUCH better when I went from 3 pumps to 4. I think it took literally two days to feel the difference!!

Feel for you op. Am 48 and used to be fit, healthy and exercised regularly up to 4 years ago when I developed extreme muscle ache, weakness and fatigue. Lightbulb moment realising I’m peri and started 2 pumps estrogel and .5ml testosterone daily in October. My aches are now much worse, feel very hormonal, hair falling out and spotty and feel unable to exercise which is driving me mad. So frustrating - really thought hrt would help.

@Zobozal

Feel for you op. Am 48 and used to be fit, healthy and exercised regularly up to 4 years ago when I developed extreme muscle ache, weakness and fatigue. Lightbulb moment realising I’m peri and started 2 pumps estrogel and .5ml testosterone daily in October. My aches are now much worse, feel very hormonal, hair falling out and spotty and feel unable to exercise which is driving me mad. So frustrating - really thought hrt would help.

Sorry, correcting to say I started estrogel in July and added testosterone in October. Also have had mirena since a few years ago

From what I know about HRT, it's best to get your estrogen (I see that you use the Mirena coil for progesterone) balanced first before adding testosterone.

Sounds like your estrogen dosage still needs to be optimized.